You may have missed the recent announcement from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) that energy consumption by the federal government is at its lowest point since 1975. This is, as some would say, a big deal and in looking at the contribution of the building sector in achieving this goal, it is in fact a very big deal for green buildings.

While reducing fuel consumption was a meaningful factor in getting to this point, lower energy use in federal buildings was a key aspect in getting to this accomplishment. The analysis from EIA points to the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which set requirements to achieve 30 percent reduction in federal building energy use and 65 percent reduction in fossil fuel consumption of new or renovated federal buildings by 2015, as a reason for the downward trend.

While not named specifically, a large portion of the new and renovating buildings meeting these targets and contributing to these energy reductions are LEED buildings. With more than 150 million square feet of federal buildings LEED-certified, it’s clear that LEED is helping federal agencies and departments lead by example and achieve the many benefits of green building. Check out the federal agencies’ impressive accomplishments.

This is good news, but not great news. The agencies must continue to do more to reduce consumption through a number of measures including a continued commitment to performance contracting to help address existing buildings and certifying major renovations and new construction through the LEED rating system.

Let’s keep the government’s commitment to green building going. Stay tuned for information on the General Services Administration review of LEED v4.

Many of the elements of green building are not new or even unique. Before the widespread availability of inexpensive fossil fuels for energy use and transportation, builders understood the principles of passive design, capturing sunlight and wind for natural lighting, heating, and cooling. In many ways, green building represents a return to simpler, low-tech solutions. At the same time, there are now many high-tech strategies available to improve the performance of the built environment. Green building is about finding the best combination of solutions to create built environments that seamlessly integrate the best of the old and the new in intelligent and creative ways.

USGBC was formed in 1992, a time when the field was beginning to define itself, to promote and encourage green building. A member-based organization, USGBC engages hundreds of thousands of individuals. The mission of USGBC is “to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.” USGBC supports achievement of this mission through education programs, advocacy, research, an extensive network of local chapters, and the LEED green building program.

Soon after it was formed, USGBC began developing LEED for rating and certifying sustainability in the building industry. Experts identified characteristics and performance levels that contributed to a definition of a green building. The first LEED green building rating system was launched in 2000. In the decade that followed, LEED expanded to include systems to address the entire life-cycle of the built environment from land-use planning to operations. It now provides rating systems for a wide array of building types, such as offices, schools, retail establishments, homes, and neighborhoods.

The trend toward green building practices in the United States has quickened in the past decade, contributing to a transformation in the market of building products and services, as well as the demand for skilled professionals. As more green products and technologies become available, green building will become more mainstream.

Federal, state, and local governments are among those adopting sustainable building practices and policies. For example, the largest federal property owners, the Department of Defense and General Services Administration have policies in place to pursue LEED certification in the new construction and major renovation rating system. Government agencies, utility companies, and manufacturers increasingly offer financial incentives for developers and owners to enhance the environmental performance of their buildings. The goal of LEED is market transformation—to fundamentally change how we design, build, and operate buildings and communities—through certification that honors levels of achievement in areas such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources.

ASPE and the Canadian Standards Association, operating as CSA Group, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to facilitate the exchange of information regarding matters that affect plumbing products industries.

Many of the elements of green building are not new or even unique. Before the widespread availability of inexpensive fossil fuels for energy use and transportation, builders understood the principles of passive design, capturing sunlight and wind for natural lighting, heating, and cooling. In many ways, green building represents a return to simpler, low-tech solutions.